Nebraska
Four out of six Nebraska school bonds fail during primary election
In the past few years, Joel said Norris has tried to lower its tax levies, especially as property valuations have gone up. Additionally, the school hasn’t put as much into its special building fund with the idea that it would help taxpayers save more.
“That’s what led to that decision to not save as much to take care of the work, but to pass that savings on to taxpayers, with the hopes that we could get a bond issue approved to take care of that work all at once,” Joel said.
Although the election didn’t go in the school’s favor, Joel said he appreciated the feedback and conversations with the community throughout the process.
“If anything, it allowed us to share additional information regarding safety, security, infrastructure, all of that with the community, to create an awareness of the state of the district,” Joel said. “Now we can plan forward based on what the outcome of May 12 was.”
Plainview Public School offered voters two bond proposals on Tuesday, both of which failed. The district boundaries go into Pierce, Antelope and Knox counties.
The larger of the two proposals was for $26 million, which focused on the district’s academic spaces. It included improvements for safety and security, updating career and technical education spaces and equipment, and updating spaces for students with disabilities.
It overwhelmingly failed with 636 voters against and 239 in support.
The second proposal could only pass if the first one had. It was for nearly $6 million to add a new gymnasium. There were 650 voters against it and 220 in support.
Centura Public Schools in central Nebraska also saw its $18.95 million bond attempt fail, with 613 voting against it and 463 voting for it, according to unofficial results in Hall, Howard, Sherman and Buffalo counties. The district hoped to improve safety and security, modernize building systems and update classrooms. According to the bond website, the school hasn’t had major improvements since 1981.
Two school districts seemingly succeeded in passing their bonds: Pierce Public Schools and Stanton Community Schools.
The Pierce Public Schools bond amounts to nearly $10 million to expand and renovate the elementary school. According to the bond website, staff shared safety concerns about pickup and drop-off lanes, door and window security, insufficient security cameras, an inadequate intercom system and the need for an electronic lock system.
The bond includes renovating special education classrooms, enhancing security and building additional classrooms and spaces for students. It passed with 668 votes in support in Pierce County and 625 against, and in Wayne county eight for and 28 against — a 23-vote total difference, according to unofficial results from both counties.
Voters rejected a previous bond proposal for $29.5 million in August.
Stanton Community Schools passed a nearly $25 million bond for the construction of a new elementary school, which will include a multipurpose gym, an early childhood center and access to a storm shelter inside the building. Currently, students have to go outside to reach the storm shelter.
There were 607 votes for the bond in Stanton County and 522 against.
KEARNEY, Neb.(KSNB) — Local organizations played a critical role in supporting firefighters during recent Nebraska grass fires, with Hot Meals USA providing food to crews battling the blazes.
Hot Meals USA responds to disasters after receiving a phone call.
“Any natural disaster or human disaster, and we are invited in, we go and feed people,” Brenda Cochran said. Cochran is manager of Hot Meals USA.
Cochran said mobilizing volunteers is not a problem when the community is in need. The organization deployed to Ogallala during the fires.
“We had people show up at 5 a.m. or 5:30 a.m.,” Cochran said. “We had people stay the majority of the day.”
Lorena Beckius said the Ogallala team handled the Morrill Fire while North Platte covered the Cottonwood Fire.
“At that point I didn’t know what we were signing up for, but you know as district governor when there is a situation, and something happens like you just step in without even thinking,” Beckius said.
Workers prepared 600 meals three times a day.
Grand Island Rural Fire Chief Mike Keene was among those fighting the fire. He said the meal service was essential.
“We don’t have time to go to a store before we leave to head out west,” Keene said. “I mean we are out there for 48 hours. Without them, we won’t be able to do what we do.”
Janet McKee said the organization maintains readiness for deployment.
“We have to prepare because we go whenever we are called,” McKee said. “So, it could be here in Nebraska or anywhere in the country.”
Beckius said volunteers appreciated the response from firefighters.
“They like how everyone greeted them with smiles so it was a great opportunity to be part of it,” Beckius said.
Information about volunteering with Hot Meals USA is available online.
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Copyright 2026 KSNB. All rights reserved.
The Kansas City pipeline continues to produce for the Big Red.
On Saturday afternoon, three-star wide receiver Justyn Lindsay of Blue Springs High School in Blue Springs, Mo., announced his commitment to the Huskers. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound pass-catcher chose Nebraska over five other Division I schools.
Here’s the latest on the newest addition to NU’s 2027 recruiting class.
Other Schools in the Race
Surprisingly, Lindsay flew under the radar for much of his recruitment. In fact, Nebraska became the first program to offer him after a standout performance on the camp circuit last summer. Since then, Lindsay had made four unofficial visits to Lincoln, more than any other school.
The Missouri native returned to Nebraska to camp over the weekend of June 5, earning an invitation to officially visit campus the following week. After making yet another trip to Lincoln, the 6-foot-3 rising senior ultimately pledged to the Big Red.
Lindsay was also scheduled to officially visit Kent State on June 19, though that trip will likely no longer take place. For the Huskers, the pledge provides a second addition to the wide receiver room in the 2027 class. For Lindsay, it presents an opportunity to continue proving himself at the highest level of college football.
A Weird Turn at Wideout
Following the commitment flip of three-star pass-catcher Kaden Howard, Nebraska appeared to have his replacement lined up in the form of four-star wide receiver Matthew Gregory of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. However, in a surprising turn of events, Gregory this week announced his commitment to UCLA.
That left the Big Red in an unusual position, especially considering they hold a commitment from five-star quarterback Trae Taylor. Even with perhaps the nation’s best signal-caller in the fold, NU continued to see several of its top wide receiver targets come off the board.
In Lindsay, the Huskers appear to have steadied the ship. With 18 wide receivers already on the roster, Nebraska did not necessarily need to land the highest-rated prospect available. Instead, the Big Red had the flexibility to take a chance on a player they clearly believe has significant upside. Given Lindsay’s athletic profile and familiarity with the program, that appears to be exactly what they did.
2027 Wide Receiver Class
Before Lindsay’s decision, Antayvious Ellis was the Huskers’ only verbal pledge at wideout for 2027. The three-star pass-catcher, originally from Crowley, Texas, announced his decision to transfer to Millard South (NE) ahead of his senior year.
Listed at 6-foot, 175 pounds, Ellis is definately on the smaller side, but has the athleticism needed to player bigger than his frame suggests. Still, NU wanted to pair him with another option within the class.
Ellis will finish his prep career as a teammate with Taylor. Together, the two will look to bring another NSAA Class A state championship to the Patriots before joining the Big Red in the spring of 2027.
Huskers Wide Receiver Outlook Following 2026
Nebraska’s wide receiver room in 2026 is one of the deepest (apparent) position groups on the team. Eighteen players are listed on scholarship ahead of this fall, with only two of them expected to exhaust their eligibility this season.
The Huskers’ junior pass-catcher class headlines the room. Returning starters Jacory Barney Jr. and Nyziah Hunter are expected to be joined by UCLA transfer Kwazi Gilmer as the top group. Others expected to factor in include Janiran Bonner, Cortez Mills, and Quinn Clark, but the room could see as many as double-digit players take snaps in the fall.
Four receiver signed with Nebraska in the 2026 recruiting class: Nalin Scott, Larry Miles, Maurice Purify II, and Jamari Brown. Each of the four was regarded as a three-star recruit in the final 247Sports rankings.
Wide Receivers on Roster:
- Sr: Janiran Bonner
- Sr: Roman Mangini
- Jr: Jacory Barney Jr.
- Jr: Nyziah Hunter
- Jr: Kwazi Gilmer
- Jr: Demetrius Bell
- So: Quinn Clark
- So: Cortez Mills
- So: Keelan Smith
- So: Connor Schutt
- So: Hayes Miller
- So: DJ Singleton Jr.
- RFr: Jackson Carpenter
- RFr: Jeremiah Jones
- Fr: Larry Miles
- Fr: Nalin Scott
- Fr: Maurice Purify II
- Fr: Jamari Brown
What Lindsay’s Commitment Means
Even though the Huskers have had one of the top signal-callers in the 2027 recruiting class committed for over a year, NU has struggled convincing pass-catchers to join him in Lincoln. With Lindsay, that is no longer the case.
Lindsay’s commitment won’t make national headlines, but he’s performed well enough to impress the Husker staff. More importantly, they’ve now seen him perform with their own eyes multiple times.
Upon the Missouri native’s decision, he became the 17th addition to the Big Red’s 2027 recruiting class. When everything is said and done, NU will likely have north of 20 prospects added to its ranks. The future in Lincoln is bright. The continued success on the recruiting trail only argues that further. Carrying that momentum over to the defensive side of the ball will be the Huskers’ staff’s next task.
Let’s see if it can be done.
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
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HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) – Cal Higgins transferred to Texas this season, joining one of the premier teams in college baseball. His path to Omaha was a long one, starting back in high school.
Higgins didn’t start playing NSAA sanctioned baseball until his sophomore year, when Kearney added baseball as a sport. He helped the Bearcats make state in their first year as a program.
Iowa Western was the only school willing to give Higgins a chance. He played one season there before following his coaches to Western Kentucky.
At Western Kentucky, he was part of building a program’s foundation at the Division I level. His time as a Hilltopper culminated in 2025, where he appeared in 22 games and posted an ERA of 1.87, good for the 10th best in program history.
Higgins helped lead the Hilltoppers to their first conference title. His time with Western Kentucky ended in the regional round, losing to Ole Miss in a game he threw 2.2 shutout frames with five strikeouts.
“It was pretty beautiful. Definitely an awesome closing of that chapter. Just had a great group of guys that were just even more bought in than the previous years,” Higgins said. “I knew that there were more opportunities out there and I wanted to explore them, wanted to have the amazing experiences that I’ve had.”
Higgins entered the transfer portal to find the final home of his college career. When a program as rich in tradition as Texas came calling, it was a decision he made quickly.
He’s pitched 11.1 innings this year for a deep Longhorn team that’s raced out to a 45-13 record. The year is culminating in Omaha, with Higgins’ return to Nebraska as an athlete for the first time since 2021.
“It’s pretty full circle, pretty surreal. Touched down at Eppley and just got a watery eye, just looking over the state I grew up in, literally, and then literally flying over the state I played in for a year,” Higgins said. “That was pretty cool, just to be back home.”
The Longhorns take the field Saturday for their first game of the Men’s College World Series against an SEC foe, the Georgia Bulldogs. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. and it will be on ESPN.
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